1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to weapon transport devices for transporting target-intended weapons along paths toward targets and more particularly to weapon transport devices for transporting target-intended weapons along paths toward targets embedded in hostile territories, and that respond to countermeasures by attacking the occupants of those territories with means other than those target-intended weapons.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transport devices for transporting a plurality of weapons along paths toward their targets are familiar from the patent literature, and examples include Adimari, U.S Pat. No. 3,981,244; Lair et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,356; Boeder, U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,694; Romer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,567; Pinson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,646; McIngvale, U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,737; Minovitch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,791,850; and Lew et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,905.
Adimari teaches an arrangement for dispensing submunitions from projectiles, Boeder and Romer from bombs, Lew, Lair, Pinson and McIngvale from missiles, and Minovitch from electromagnetically launched canisters. While the actual submunitions of all of these arrangements are target directed, Lew teaches a MIRVed (Multiple Independent Renentry Vehicle) ICBM that also dispenses dummy warheads. Each of these arrangements, however, is made more effective by submunition separation, and thus, unlike the present invention, invites attack before separation, i.e., with all of the submunitions still aboard the weapon transport device.
While the present invention can discourage countermeasures against not only the transport devices mentioned but also against almost any such devices for transporting target-intended weapons toward targets, some of these transport devices are more effectively served by some of the features of this invention than by others. The TOMAHAWK cruise missile was chosen for purposes of illustrating and explaining this invention because it can be effectively served by all of the features of the present invention.
Cruise missiles are described in Janes' Weapons Systems, 17th Edition, 1986-7, in greater detail in The Evolution of the Cruise Missile, Werrell, Kenneth P., Air University Press, Maxwell AFB 1985, and elsewhere. These references not only describe these missiles and their operating systems, subsystems and payloads, they also make it clear that cruise missiles such as the TOMAHAWK can transport various kinds of munitions and submunitions, some of which, including nuclear, are of interest here.
The weapon transport devices of the present invention respond to countermeasures by dispensing biological, chemical, or radioactive substances, with salvage-fusing arrangements that scatter radioactive substances or increase the neutron production of nuclear payloads, or with combinations of these responses. Biological and chemical agents are described in Weapons, St. Martin's Press, New York 1980, as is the neutron option, and "salvage-fusing" is explained in The New York Times, Tuesday, Mar. 25, 1986.
Some of the countermeasure-discouraging arrangements of this invention are activated by separation from weapon transport devices, and others by detonation of the weapons being transported thereby. Separation is initiated or, where appropriate, inhibited, by signals from either the guidance systems of the transport devices or from on-board Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Separation is effected via solenoid valve actuated spray nozzles, by energizing explosive bolts, by solenoid latches that otherwise secure detachably secured canisters to the weapon transport devices, etc. These GPS receivers, solenoid valve activated spray nozzles, explosive bolts such as those that detachably secure hatches to military and space vehicles, and solenoid latches such as those found on car trunks and apartment house doors are, of course, familiar devices, the details of which are well known to persons having ordinary skill in the art.